By the Numbers
Whither qualitative change in politics?
ALL the experiments of this caretaker government (CTG) for bringing a qualitative change in the country's politics do not appear to have worked out. The CTG tried to promote an idea of changing the Constitution for balancing power between the president and the prime minister. It also initiated an idea to constitute a national security council. But all the ideas have come to naught.
The much-vaunted anti-corruption drive, arresting scores of top politicians in dramatic midnight raids and sending them behind bars to clean up politics also appears to have lost way, as most of them have already walked out on bail.
After the changeover on 1/11, the joint forces carried out drives against the corrupt politicians and arrested at least 112 high-profile politicians and businessmen, including several former ministers and lawmakers of the major political parties. They were so long in jail on charges of crime and corruption under the Emergency Power Act, but have been released on bail because of delay in investigation.
It was really a commendable move of the CTG for purging the polluted politics and bringing the top-most corrupt politicians, who were hitherto believed to be immune from the normal law of the land, to justice. The CTG won 105 cases filed against 154 people, mostly politicians and their family members, but failed to cross the next hurdle as the top graft convicts challenged the verdicts in the High Court.
Detention of people under the Emergency Power Act is the easy part, but it is crucial to clamp down on the crime lords and the godfathers of graft with foolproof cases for prosecution. We have seen in the past that many detained political leaders with alleged links with high profile crime and corruption could not be punished, as the charges against them were not specific.
Some trends and indications of the recent mayoral elections suggest that qualitative change in politics is yet a far-off cry. As far as cleanliness is concerned, many of these newly elected mayors and councilors are accused in various criminal cases, including murder, extortion and corruption. Some of them are still behind bars, waiting to be tried.
Though the results from the recent local government elections have very little influence on the overall electoral politics involving more than 80 million voters, some trends clearly suggest that electing candidates known to be dishonest is likely to continue in other elections.
The CTG as well as the EC should have felt the pulse of our political leaders, who did not hesitate to nominate candidates accused in crime and corruption for the August 4 elections despite the fact that they were urged not to nominate such individuals.
The political parties no more represent the people's beliefs, views and opinions. They do not really reflect the people's will, as they have become dynastic. This is exactly why electoral reforms are crucial in determining the future course of politics in the country.
But, in an unfortunate development, the BNP and its alliance partners, Jamaat-e- Islami and Islami Oikya Jote, have demanded that the new electoral reforms laws be scrapped, or suspended till the national election is over. They have argued that it was not possible for them to abide by the recent ordinance revising the RPO 1972.
Such an attitude, showing utter disdain of electoral laws, has brought about a sense of fear among the people that scrapping or suspending of the essential electoral laws may increase the chances of politics going back to square one.
Therefore, the CTG and the EC should think of an alternative in order to find a way out of this situation, without going for scrapping or suspending of the electoral reform laws, paving the way for all the major parties to participate in the national election.
It is a sheer bad luck for the nation that elections have hardly helped in changing the people's lot or reflected people's will -- except in 1970, when people mandated Awami League to seek redress against oppression by the Pakistani rulers. The much-anticipated general election of December 18 may not also fulfill the aspirations of the people unless the chances of politics going back to the square one is reduced through strict imposition of electoral laws.
With the national election date now set for December 18, the CTG is said to be preparing a list of 140 politicians who were convicted in the special courts for corruption or are facing trial on charge of corruption. The list includes 110 former ministers and MPs of BNP, 25 former ministers and MPs of AL, and five from Jamaat.
The CTG is said to be pursuing a move for getting assurance from the political parties concerned so that the listed leaders will not be given party tickets for contesting in the forthcoming elections.
The civil society initiatives advocating the candidature of honest and competent individuals have now faded out. Urging the two estranged former prime ministers, Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina, by the FBCCI leaders to initiate qualitative change in politics is an encouraging development. The civil society, NGOs and professional groups should also raise their voices for nomination of clean and competent candidates in the forthcoming national election.
A qualitative change in the country's politics is a long-cherished demand of the nation. To achieve this, we must devise the kind of politics where the well-being of the nation is at the core of the system. The people are now really craving for the enlightened leadership with wisdom, honesty and ability. They do not want to see the looters and plunderers of national wealth pontificate on honesty and integrity.
One can take this opportunity to remind the political parties of their sacred responsibility towards ridding the political arena of the country from the grip of the corrupt, crooked and criminals. Both the BNP and AL have paid plenty after the political changeover on 1/11 because of having the corrupt and criminally associated individuals in their respective parties.
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